richard matchett



(No Model.) A

R. MATCHETT.

- FLUID-PRESSURE REGULATOR. No. 601,878. Patented Apr; 5,1898.

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UNITED STATEs PATENT EEICE.

RICHARD MATCI-IETT, OF MELBOURNE, VICTORIA.

FLUID-PRESSURE REGULATOR.

lSPECIlEICALION forming part of Letters Patent No. 601,878, dated April 5 1898.

` Application filed February 27, 1897. Serial No. 625 ,373. (Nol model.)

resident of No. 454 Collins street,Melbourne,

in the Colony of Victoria, have invented certain new and useful Improved Apparatus for Reducing the Pressureof Liquids and Gases,

of which the following is a specification. l

This invention has been devised to provide improved means or apparatus by which liquids or gases under pressure may during their reticulation be automatically reduced to the proportion required. f

Although my invention may be applied to other liquids or gases, I shall for simplicity of explanation describe' it with reference to reducing the pressure of carbonio-acid gas when it is desired to apply this gas to beer or wine previous to their being supplied to customers.

I n order that my invention may be the more easily understood, reference may be made lto the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a sectional elevation, while Fig. 2 -is a plan, of my apparatus with some p0rtions removed for the'svake of clearness.

In the drawings, A, Fig. 2, represents a cylindrical shell'or casing of metal, preferably brass, having attached `thereto an inlet-tube B and its connections, an outlet-tube C, a pressure-gage D and its parts, and a safetyvalve E and its parts.

F, Figs. l and 2, is a metal cover arranged to screw by a peripheral thread at F into the enlarged portion of casing A. A portion of F at F2 is squared or faced to permit a spanner to grasp it for the purpose of screwingF home. Into the top of F a screw-thread F3 is set for the purpose of receiving a screw-plug G. This latter plug G terminates in a small shank G', around and below which a spiral spring H is set and so arranged as to exert a downward pressure upon a gripper-plate or diaphragm I. Under this gripper-plate or diaphragm I is a circular plate K, preferably constructed of red rubber. This circular plate completely divides and separates the upper from the lower portion of the casingA and is of the full inner diameter of the enlarged part of the said casing A. K is kept in position by a metalring K', the latter being jammed by the screw-pressure of the cap F at F. On the under side of this circular plate K 4is another gripper-plate L, which exerts a verticaly thrust, so as to grip the rubber plate between itself and the gripper I. The upward pressure, of L is brought about by the spring M beneath pressing vertically against it.. It willbe noticed that the shank Lof L is screwed and has mounted upon ,it one arm of a leverN and a lock-nut L2. .The

plug O, which screws into the casing at A.

Reverting to the leverN (see Fig. l) it will be noticedthat it is centered at N' in an upright N2, said upright being either screwed in or otherwise fastened to the casing at A2. The outer end of the lever N terminates in a pad or valve P and is so arranged that it will rise and fall with the movement of the lever upon the valve-seat R. This latter is preferably constructed in the form illustrated; but I would have it understood that Ido not confine myself arbitrarily to the exact arrangement of the valve and its seating. Ris attached to or set in the inlet-tube B, which is secured to the casing at A3.

"T is a screwed union to which the highpressure supply is attached, a washer T', of rubber or similarmaterial, being employed to assist in forming an air-tight joint.

C, Fig. 2, is an outlet-tube leading from the chamber beneath the division K and from which is led away the low-pressure gas.

D, Fig. 2, is a pressure-gage having a passage D, also communicating with the chamber below the division-plate K, its position be- 'ing also shown on Fig. 1 by dotted circles D".

E, Fig. l, is an inverted spring safety-valve having a communication E with the interior of the casing A, and the pressure upon itsescape-valve E5 being regulated b y the spring E2, the strain of which'is adjustedby the screw E3, which latter is provided with a milled head E4. It will thus be seen that an undue pressure in the casing A will be relieved by said valve, and consequently will not be communicated to the vessel containing the wine or beer under treatment.

follows: Presume that carbonio-acid gas at a pressure of one hundred pounds per square inch is to enter at T and that it is desired to be drawn off at the outlet C at five pounds spring M terminates at the bottom on a screw- The modus operandi of my invention is as IOO . per square inch. The gas enters and passes along through T, B, and R and escapes into and lls the chamber beneath K and makes its exit by C, whence it is led to the wine or or beer requiring treatment. When the wine or beer in the cask has become sufficiently charged or will not absorb the gas quickly enough, the pressure in the chamber under K as willbe seen on the gage D. T he slightest v further increase of pressure will cause the circular rubber plate K to rise or expand vertically and carry with it the gripper L, and synchronously its shank L and lever N, so that the latter will close the valve P upon the valve-seat R, and thus prevent any further ingress of the gas at such valve-seat until such time as the pressure getsbelow the point required, when the high -pressure gas will again enter to make up for any deficiency in the low-pressure supply. The state of the pressure in the chamber under K can be seen by a glance at the gage D.

In adjusting my apparatus to deliver the gas or liquid at the required reduced pressure, as will be shown upon the gage D, the screw-plugs Gr and O are carefully operated, so that spring M, on the one hand, may have sufficient compression to quickly push the lever N upward, (when the downward tension of the spring H has been overcome by the pressure under diaphragm K,) and, on the other hand, that a sufficient compression is given to the spring H so that the gripper I will not permit the diaphragm K to rise until the required pressure under it has been arrived at. It will thus be seen that the springs H and M preserve the equilibrium of the diaphragm, and through this means automatically control the action of the valve P.

I do not conne myself to the employment of any particular material for the construction of my apparatus; but in practice I have found gun-metal to be suitable. I would also point out that where certain injurious or corrosive gases or liquids under pressure require to be reduced by my apparatus the parts might be formed of special material-such as vulcanite, for instance.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is A fluid-pressure regulator, comprising the separable casings A F, provided with inlet and outlet pipes T and C, the diaphragm K interposed between said separable casings and forming an upper and lower chamber, a gripper comprising two independent blocks arranged on opposite sides of the diaphragm, the upper block being provided with a stud and the lower block with a screw, the adjustable threaded plug G having a reduced eX- tension G', a coiled spring I-I, the end coils of which engage the extension and a stud of the screw and gripper sections respectively, and is confined between the two, a'post N2 having a screw-threaded engagement with the section A of the casing, a bell-crank lever jour' naled to said post and having at one end a valve to control the inlet-passage, and having at its other end a screw-threaded aperture through which projects the screw of the lower gripper-section, and by means of which the bell-crank may be adjusted to regulate its valve, a screw-threaded plug O secured to the lower section vof the casing, a spring M surrounding the lower end of the screw and engaging the plug O, the adjusting-nut L2 on said screw above the end of the bell-crank lever, and the spring-actuated safety-valve E having the ad j usting-plug E3, substantially as set forth.

Signed at Melbourne this 15th day of January, 1897.

RICHARD MATCIIETT. Witnesses:

A. O. SAoHsn, A. HARKER. 

